Guardians of Hogwarts
by CassieWolfe
Summary: When Harry attracts more attention than Dumbledore bargained for, he's forced to enlist the help of some old friends. But will the Guardians keep everyone safe, or will they attract the notice of an old enemy and doom the school? DISCONTINUED!
1. Chapter 1 - Meet the Guardians

**Bold is characters narrating or the author (me!).***** signals time and/or perspective changes. Italics are used for thoughts, other languages or emphasis. Underlined italics are flashbacks or dreams.**

 **Set after Rise of the Guardians, and during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.**

 **For the most part, the POV will be Jack, Bunny or possibly Harry, but there might be others.**

 **Shipping minor Drarry, but not a romance. No ToothxJack!**

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

 **Why would you want to be normal?**

 **Adults just do.**

 **Ahem.**

They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.  
 **Am I nonsense?**

 **No, Bunny. Now be quiet.**  
Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blond and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,

 **That makes up for her husband!**

 **Yes, Jack. That's the idea. May I continue?**

 **Yes.**

which came in useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The Dursleys had a small boy called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.

 **But then, most parents think that, don't they? At least, that's what I've noticed.**

 **YES, BUNNY. NOW CAN I READ?**

 **Oh. Okay.**

The Dursleys had everything they wanted,

 **When are we going to get to us?**

 **If I tell your part of the story, will you be quiet?**

 **Yes.**

 **Sure, mate.**

 **Fine, then. *Deep sigh***

Jack Frost, king of winter and resident fun guy, was spreading snow over the Rocky Mountains when brilliant purple lights lit up the sky. Looking up, he sighed.

"Well, I guess I'm not visiting Jamie then. Coming, North," he muttered to himself, effortlessly changing direction and soaring towards the North Pole.

Soon enough, the lights of North's workshop appeared, shining nearly as bright as the moon. Jack dived towards the window usually left open for him to come and go, only to smack into the crystal-clear glass. He had to admit, the yetis did a good job keeping the place clean.

As Jack rubbed his sore head, Tooth came fluttering up to open the window. "Thanks, Tooth," he said gratefully, coming through the now-open window with a little less grace than usual.

Just then, a large gray shape came leaping out of a newly appeared hole in the floor, grumbling about being pulled away from his Easter eggs.

"Ah, greetings, Jack, Bunny. Ve are just vaiting for our guest, and then he vill explain everything."

Jack turned to greet the large (okay, enormous) man who had just spoken. "Hey, North. I was just going to ask, but I can wait a few minutes. Maybe."

"Good to see you, Jack! You have been avay for too long. At least soon you vill be here more, vat with ze summer just around ze corner." Jack scowled at the mention of the inordinately hot season, when he would be forced to stay at the poles or suffer nausea and a fever. No disrespect to Mother Nature, but he could really have done without summer.

Just then, the fireplace in one side of the hall flared to life, unusual green flames rising high into the chimney. Just as suddenly, they vanished, leaving a tall, and slightly sooty, man standing in the hearth.

"Oh, Albus, you are early! But, ve are all here, so, is good, ja?"

"Yes, of course. Now, I presume you all are the Guardians?" A collection of nods around the circle.

"Good. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. You may call my Albus, or Professor Dumbledore, as you prefer. Have you ever heard of witches and wizards?"

Rather surprised at the turn of conversation, the Guardians nodded.

"Good. That will help. Have any of you ever tried doing magic, other than your Guardian magic, of course?"

Jack and North raised their hands, and after a moment, Bunny hesitantly followed suit. Jack raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment. There was a time for anything and everything, including teasing.

"Good, that will help. Let's see, North is a bit old for a student, but I think I know what we can do. North and Tooth will pose as teachers and Sandy, Jack and – I believe your preferred name is Aster?" Bunny nodded.

"Sandy, Jack and Aster can be students. Are you willing to pretend to be an adopted family?"

North laughed uproariously. "Ah, but ve are family in truth, not pretend! Ja, ve vill do it, Albus."

"Excuse me, _what_ will we do? I should like to know what I'm doing before I have to do it," Jack said, slightly irritated.

"Ah," Dumbledore replied, "yes. You will be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as students, and, in North and Tooth's case, teachers. You see, there is a boy, Harry Potter, who as a baby survived an attack by one of the most deadly wizards of the age, Lord Voldemort. Now, twelve years later, Lord Voldemort is back and wants revenge. He is trying to kill Harry, and I stupidly underestimated the threat he poses. Two years ago, Harry's first year, he tried to steal a very dangerous artifact, called the Philosopher's Stone."

All the Guardians drew in a shocked breath.

Bunny said, scowling, "That thing should 'ave been destroyed centuries ago. It's a damn menace."

"Well, you will be glad to hear that I have convinced the stone's owner, Nicholas Flamel, to have it gotten rid of. Permanently. Then, last year, Harry got targeted by a Basilisk, which he killed. However, Hogwarts is not nearly as safe as we have always thought, and Harry attracts trouble like a magnet. Therefore, I am enlisting your aid in watching over him."

Jack flew into the air. "Nu-uh. Why should I go to school? I'm the spirit of fun, and school is _not_ fun. Besides, who'd spread winter?"

"Mother Nature will take care of that, with the help of your Winter Spirits. And I would hope you would agree to do this because a boy – hardly more than a child, really – is in grave danger, and your job is to keep kids safe."

"Come on, Jack. We're supposed to be looking after the ankle-biters."

"Okay, fine. I'll go. But, how will Tooth not look like a humming bird, and Bunny a kangaroo?"

" _Rabbit!"_ Bunny shouted. "I'm a rabbit, not a bloody kangaroo, mate. What makes ya think I'm a kangaroo?"

"Language, Bunny! And I dunno, maybe it's the accent, or the fact that most rabbits don't stand up on their hind legs?"

" _I'm not most rabbits, Frostbite!_ "

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry. How will you not look like an _adorable_ -"

"No."

" _Fluffy_ -"

"No!"

"Bunny rabbit."

"NO!"

North sighed, and interrupted what was shaping up to be a vicious argument (a.k.a. Jack and Bunny's usual interaction). "Vould you let Albus answer, please?"

Reluctantly, they turned to Dumbledore.

"As it happens, my potions master, Professor Snape, has created a draught that will make you all appear as normal humans for the space of one year, or until you take an antidote. Don't worry, it won't affect your ability to cast your special brand of magic. I will leave five doses with you, and I hope you will all take them sometime in the summer. Here is a list of the equipment you will need."

And, handing North several vials of sparkling liquid and a letter, he went to the fireplace and threw a handful of glittering dust to the ground, vanishing in a cloud of green flames.


	2. Chapter 2 - Diagon Alley pt 1

**Sorry about the weird formatting, I can't get my word processor to behave.**

 **XOX, enjoy, Cassie**

Far too soon, August arrived, and with it the spectre of school. Jack might look forward to learning more magic, he might even enjoy the new pranking subjects, but he certainly didn't agree that a strict disciplinary environment was the best place for either, and he wasn't shy about airing that opinion to Sandy. Or anyone else, really, but they tended to change the subject when he started complaining about hiding his powers. Okay, maybe he was taking advantage of Sandy's inability to talk back, but so far he was being a great listener, and Jack wasn't going to let his audience go.

One Monday late in the month, North called all the Guardians together in the main hall. He then handed them each a potion.

"Here you go, you just have to drink it." Then he added, having sampled his own, "Do it in one go, it's vile stuff."

They all drank, noses wrinkling at the taste of bitter almonds and acid. For a moment, Bunny thought they had been deceived and would die in agony. The fact that nothing, in fact, happened for a good few minutes didn't stop Jack from re-enacting Romeo's death scene with a good deal more panache than the original play called for.

"Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide."

"Oh rack off, ya bloody show pony," Bunny said in annoyance. Then he stopped in surprise, for first North, then all the others had transformed into humans.

North looked more or less the same, but his Russian outfit had turned to a red robe similar to the one Dumbledore had worn, trimmed with fur. He looked a little younger too, perhaps fifty or so.

Jack too looked the same, if a little younger, and Sandy appeared like a short golden-haired boy of about twelve.

Tooth, though, had completely changed. Her wings had vanished and her bright feathers had turned to a colourful dress. She had black hair, streaked with blue, green and purple.

Judging by the other's expressions, Bunny too had changed, though he had felt only a small tingle.

Tooth came over, walking now, and handed him a mirror. Looking into it, he gasped.

He was as tall as usual, and nearly as muscular. His skin was deep tan, contrasting not unpleasantly with his tousled blue-gray hair and emerald green eyes. He was relieved to see that his tribal marks had stayed, disguised as gray tattoos, a shade darker than his hair.

Looking down, he saw that his passion for painting had been represented on his jeans with liberal splatters of paint in every shade of the rainbow.

"Oh, Bunny," Tooth exclaimed, "you look so... human! Can I see your teeth? Good, nice and white."

Batting Tooth away, Bunny gave a shy grin. "I suppose if I 'ave to spend a year human, this is a pretty good form to 'ave."

"Vell," North interrupted, "If all is good, ve should be going, ja?"

"Sure," Jack agreed. "How are we getting there? You can't take the sleigh, it would give us away right away."

For once, Bunny had an answer. "We can take the Warren, mate. Just tell me where we need to go, and I'll do the rest."

North hesitated, his wish to get going clearly warring with his dislike for the network of tunnels that Bunny used to get around.

"Fine, ve vill go to Diagon Alley, in London. Can you find it, Aster?"

"Of course," he said indignantly. "Come on!"

And with that, he opened the tunnel.

They popped up behind a large marble building, fortunately alone. North looked nearly as sick as Bunny had felt when he'd tried riding in North's sleigh. The Guardians gave him a moment to recover, and then set off. As it turned out, they didn't have to go very far, since they had come out right behind Gringotts, the wizarding bank.

"See, mate?" Bunny said to North. "I came out right where you said."

Jack turned and said to Bunny, an insufferable smirk on his face, "Oh shut up you _bloody show pony._ "

Bunny had to admit he'd done the accent pretty well. Of course, that didn't stop Bunny from chasing after his mischievous adopted brother. He only stopped when they got to the inner doors of the bank and Tooth called them both back.

Inside, the place was even more impressive than out, filled with marble counters and little wizened creatures that Bunny recognized as goblins.

North strode confidently up to one of the desks and said, "Ze Guardian's safe, please."

"Key?" the goblin asked tersely.

North produced a small silver key and handed it to the creature.

"That seems in order. Grudyng, take them down to safe number thirty seven."

Yet another goblin came over to them, leading them to a dangerously rickety-looking cart. "Well, git in," it said rudely. "I don't have all day!"

Bunny hesitated. It was under ground, at least, but the contraption looked uncomfortably like North's sleigh. The decision was taken out of his hands, however, when North picked him up by the back of his shirt and deposited him in the cart. Immediately, they took off at a great pace, hurtling around corners and nearly flying off the tracks. Bunny nearly lost his breakfast when they stopped suddenly in front of one of the safes. The goblin inserted the little key and the door opened, revealing a huge room, a cavern really, filled with treasure. On one side of the room, gems and jewellery sparkled, while on the other, piles of gold, silver and bronze coins caught the light. But what caught Bunny's attention was a book that he hadn't opened in two thousand years. He started towards it, curious as to what had been added since he'd become a Guardian.

Opening the book, he skipped to the end, passing over the pictures of Mother Nature and Evie Hallows to a beautiful painting of Mannie. To his annoyance, Jack popped up beside him.

"Is that the book North swore me into the Guardians with?" Jack asked curiously.

"Yes," Bunny replied shortly. Then he decided to explain. Maybe then Jack would leave him alone. "It 'as pictures and descriptions of all the spirits in the world. Including us."

Unfortunately, Jack seemed more interested than bored.

"Can I see yours?"

Bunny reluctantly turned a few pages. There, staring up at him, was his picture and name.

Jack let out a choked laugh. "The E. in your name stands for Eadmundo? No wonder you don't want anyone to know!"

"Yeah, mate. And if you tell anyone I'll tie you up in the Warren for a century."

He kept paging through, seeing himself painting an egg with infinite care, tending his beautiful garden, stretching to hide an egg in a tree. Then, there on the last pages, were two pictures that took his breath away. One of him holding little Sophie in the Warren, Jack resting his hand on Bunny's shoulder, and standing back to back with Jamie Bennett, facing Pitch.

"That's so sweet, Bunny."

For a moment, he'd forgotten that Jack was there. "Ah, shut up ya gumby."

"Aww, you know you care."

Bunny ignored that comment and kept flipping through the pages. "Nicholas St. North. Toothiana. Sanderson Mansnoozie. And you. Jackson Overland Frost, Guardian of Fun." Then he faltered. "You died saving your sister? Why- I never knew."

Jack shrugged, "I didn't know myself until a few years ago. And, I don't really want everyone knowing. It's in the past, and I'm not that kid anymore."

Bunny was still reeling. "I'm sorry I said you weren't fit to be a Guardian. If- since you died for her... I should 'ave trusted you not to betray us."

"You're not still beating yourself up over that, are you? I told you, it's over."

"Yeah, sure, mate. Let's get back to the others before we get ourselves locked in here."

And with that, Bunny strode off towards the door, where the others were waiting.


	3. Chapter 3 - Diagon Alley pt 2

Once outside, Tooth took over, steering Jack and Bunny over to a small shop by the name of Madam Malkin's, where they would be getting their robes.

"Now, you three stay here and get fitted and the rest of us will go get your cauldron and scales. We'll meet you in the book shop, all right?"

Jack nodded, surprised that the others would leave but not particularly bothered. Bunny and Sandy followed suit a bit more dubiously, no doubt calculating the amount of chaos Jack could cause in half an hour in a clothing shop. The other Guardians didn't seem to notice, and in a few moments Jack found himself seated on a tall stool, being magically fitted by a pleasant, motherly witch.

Fortunately for the shop, Jack and Bunny were done relatively quickly, and since Sandy told them to go ahead, soon enough Bunny was being dragged down the street by an extremely hyper Jack (the free sweet bowl in the shop _really_ wasn't the best idea).

"Come on, come on, we'll be late!"

He heard Bunny sigh behind him. "No, ya gumby. We're ten minutes early. And Sandy hasn't even left the robes shop yet."

Vaguely, Jack knew he was acting like a six-year-old, but he was too sugar-high to care. " _Ten minutes?_ We have to wait _ten minutes_? I'm bored already!"

"Well, I suppose we can get all our books so when the others show up ya won't have to stand around."

"'Kay," Jack said. "Race you!"

And with that he took off, running down the street with Bunny hot on his heels.

They'd been racing for several streets before Jack realized they'd taken a wrong turn. Suddenly, they were running down a narrow, dingy alley filled with distinctly seedy looking characters.

Jack skidded to a stop, Bunny crashing into his back.

"Um, I think we took a wrong turn, Bunny," he said nervously.

"Ya think?" Bunny replied sarcastically.

The people crowding the street were pressing closer, and Jack stepped back, feeling the familiar warmth of Bunny's chest behind him.

"How do we get out of here? They don't look like the sort to let us go with a pat on the back."

" _Shh. Not English,"_ Bunny replied, talking in Fae, the language used by spirits and elves. " _Just... Imagine they're Pitch. If you aren't afraid of them, they won't be able to hurt you."_

Following Bunny's lead, Jack lifted his head and turned to leave. Then he heard a voice behind him.

"I- I'm fine, thanks." It sounded like a teenage girl, and she was clearly scared. For a moment Jack's fervent desire to leave conflicted with his Guardian instinct to protect. Then he took off, elbowing people aside with no qualms about using violence. A kid was in danger!

There, in front of a dark shop, stood a blond girl of about ten or eleven. A grimy witch was getting up in her face, trying to sell her something that looked suspiciously like human ears.

Jack, remembering his life before, when lords would come through, looking down at the villagers and treating them like mangy dogs, murmured to Bunny " _Follow my lead. Bluff._ "

Then he started towards the girl, silently hoping she would have the sense to play along.

"Oh, there you are," Jack said, putting on an upper-crust accent. "Mama isn't pleased in the least. This trip is a privilege, you know, and if you keep running off like that, she'll come take you home. God, you're filthy, must be this place rubbing off on you. Come on."

He grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her away from the witch. Bunny stood behind him, looking at one of the shop windows with disdain.

"You too, Aster, or next time she won't let you come along."

Jack continued shepherding the others away, using his staff to shove people out of the way, and giving them mild frostbite for good measure. Finally they drew near Diagon Alley again. Just as Jack thought they'd get away with it, their way was blocked by an tall man.

"Ah, there you are, Luna. What were you doing down Knockturn Alley? Did these lads take you in there?"

He was looking distinctly suspicious, so Jack thought he should explain.

"Sir, my brother an I ended up in Knockturn Alley entirely by accident, and as we were leaving, I heard – Luna is it? – I heard Luna. She sounded scared, so we went to get her out of there. And now, sir, we will be leaving."

With that, Jack dragged Bunny away, and back towards Flourish & Blotts , where the others would no doubt be anxiously waiting.

Sure enough, North, Sandy and Tooth stood in front of the shop, seeming in disagreement. Symbols flashed above Sandy's head; a ticking clock, Bunny and Jack running, then a thumbs up.

"Yeah, you're right, Sandy," Jack said, revelling in the fact that all the Guardians jumped. "We're fine."

"Ah, vhere vere you, Jack, Bunny?" North said, looking relieved. "Ve vere all so vorried!"

"See, that's the thing," Jack started. "The clothes shop had sweets and I got sugar-high, so I got Bunny to race me. Then we got lost down this place, Knockturn Alley, and found a girl who was in trouble so now she's safe, I think, and we're here!"

"Sugar?" Tooth exclaimed in dismay. "Here, open up! Oh no, you shouldn't have..."

"Tooth," North said firmly. "Hands out of mouth!"

"Sorry, just, they're so white! Now, make sure you brush tonight."

More shapes appeared over Sandy's head, though Jack was the only one to notice.

"You're right, Sandy. We should go get our things or we won't be done by lunchtime."

"Ah, thank you, Sandy, Jack. Ve should indeed ve going!"

With that, North strode into the crowded shop, trailing the other Guardians in the small space he had cleared.

Inside, the shop owner nearly had a fit when they said they wanted the Monstrous Book of Monsters.

"I've been bitten twice already today!" He said grumpily. To his surprise, however, Jack and Bunny calmly stroked the books, which opened peacefully into their hands.

"Thank you, kids," he said gratefully. "That'll make handling them a lot easier!"

Tooth poked her head back into the shop.

"Are you coming? We must get our wands!"

"Yeah, yeah, coming sheila," Bunny grumbled.

Jack laughed and skipped out of the shop, almost losing it and calling the wind to fly. Just as his feet started to leave the ground, though, Bunny grabbed his shoulder, drawing him back to the ground.

"Careful. Don't want people seeing _that_."

"Aww, you do care," Jack replied mischievously.

Bunny rolled his eyes and muttered, "In your dreams, Frostbite."


	4. Chapter 4 - Diagon Alley pt 3

The wand shop was small. North barely fit through the door, causing much hilarity for Jack. Bunny, of course, was above mocking a fellow Guardian, at least openly.

Suddenly, a tiny old man, endowed with incredibly bushy white hair, popped out in front of them.

"Ah," he said in a breathy sort of voice, "what can I do for you, gentlemen, and lady, of course?"

"Ve need vive vands please, zir," North said politely.

"Four!" Jack said from somewhere behind Bunny's left ear. "I'll keep my staff, thanks."

Bunny sighed. "Jack, ya gumby, we've been over this. Ya can't keep your staff, everyone at Hogwarts uses wands."

"But there is a solution!" the old man said, seeming very exited. "I can transfigure your staff into a working wand, and you'll be able to expand it back to a staff with a single word! What word would you like to use?"

Jack affected to think about it, but Bunny had a terrible feeling he knew what Jack would choose. His hunch was proven correct when Jack grinned evilly.

"Eadmundio!"

Bunny groaned, but the man had already taken Jack's staff and darted away with the words, "This will only take me a moment. Please, just wait here, I'll be back soon."

Sure enough, he was back in only a few minutes, handing Jack a slender, gnarled wand. When Jack took it, fractal patterns spread over the wood.

"Just say your trigger word, and it will expand. Go ahead, try it."

Bunny watched as Jack said firmly, "Eadmundio!"

The wand elongated, becoming the familiar crook. Jack shrank it again, looking quite relieved.

Then the gentleman, now introduced as Ollivander, got on to matching the others with wands. In only a few minutes, Bunny was equipped with a lovely apple wood wand, twelve inches long with a core of a phoenix feather. Sandy's had been ordered earlier, so now he was given a golden coloured wand, with a small crystal ball filled with what looked like dreamsand at the base.

"It vill help him to cast ze spells!" North explained.

Then Bunny understood. Since Sandy couldn't speak, the dreamsand would let him cast spells.

North and Tooth took a little longer, but eventually they were matched with wands. North had a sturdy pine wood wand with a centre of a dragon heart string, and Tooth had found a slender one of mountain ash wood with a unicorn hair for a core.

Finally they left after paying for the wands. Bunny sighed at his incorrigible brother skipping in circles around the party (and occasionally _into_ members of the party).

"Frostbite! Can ya _please_ calm down?"

Jack chuckled. "Sorry, no can do, Bunny. It's too cool."

Bunny rolled his eyes tolerantly. Sometimes Jack could really be a pain.

Luckily, North decided it was time for lunch and steered them to a pub and restaurant called The Leaky Cauldron. As they went in, Tooth was explaining to Sandy that the place was the usual way to get into Diagon Alley, Jack was running rings around the others and North and Bunny were engaged in a lively debate about the merits of Christmas versus Easter. The bartender looked rather bewildered by the odd family, but Bunny was used to strange looks. North broke off from their argument to order lunch – sausage rolls and salad, with a vegetarian option for Bunny. That was really why he loved the other Guardians; they took the time to learn his preferences and made sure he had what he wanted.

The meal was delicious, and they took their time over it, laughing and joking.

Afterwards, they went to get animals. In the end, only North and Jack got animals. North got a large Long-Eared Owl and Jack opted for a stunning snowy owl, as pure white as new snow.

"What will ya call him, Jack?" Bunny asked curiously.

"I was thinking Zima," Jack replied, glancing at North. "North taught me it means Winter in Russian, so I thought it would be a good name for a snowy owl."

North grinned. "Is very good!"

"Of course," Bunny said, "It does sound a like a female name. Maybe it's a trans owl."

"Fine," Jack replied. "What about Moroz then? It means Frost."

North nodded, and even Bunny couldn't find fault with Jack's selection.


	5. Chapter 5 - On The Train

Back at the Pole, everything was calm. In just two days the Guardians would be leaving for King's Cross Station. All their luggage was packed, they'd left directions for Phil, Tooth's fairies, the Winter Spirits and Bunny's googies, and Moroz had been accustomed to his new master. They were ready to go.

On September first, they set off to London. They got a few strange looks as they traveled through the train station, but then, Jack was skipping in circles barefoot, Sandy kept drifting off on his feet, Tooth was directing her fairies through a microphone headset and Bunny and North were loudly continuing their argument about the holidays.

They ran into some trouble when they found that their tickets were for "platform nine and three quarters," but a kindly red-haired woman surrounded by _way_ too many teenagers told them to walk through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Doubtfully, Jack tried it. To his surprise, he went straight through and came out on another train station, where a huge red engine sat on the tracks. Unfortunately, he also came out on top of someone.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" The blond boy he'd tumbled on top of yelped.

"Sorry, just coming through," Jack said apologetically. "You might want to move though, the rest of my family is coming through."

The boy moved aside just in time, as North and Bunny came through together. He would certainly have been squashed if Jack hadn't warned him. After a moment, Tooth and Sandy popped through as well, and Tooth began shepherding the rest of the party onto the train, North and Bunny easily lifting the large trunks. Jack went down the aisle to an empty compartment, where Bunny and Sandy joined him a moment later, laughing and chatting.

An hour or two later, the three Guardians were getting exceptionally bored. Sandy had fallen asleep, and Jack and Bunny were engaged in an entirely pointless argument, just for something to do. Then a familiar boy stuck his head in the door.

"Oh, it's you. _These_ freaks are your _family_? They look nothing like you."

"Adopted family, obviously," Jack said, outwardly polite, yet seething inside. No one insulted his family.

The boy smirked. "Oh, of course. Are your adopted parents blind? Because no one in their right mind would want to spend time with those faces."

"Yeah, well, at least they got to choose," Jack shot back. " _Your_ parents had one shot, and now they're stuck with you. Poor things, I pity them. Then again, river trolls don't usually put much prestige on appearance."

The boy choked.

"Oh," Jack said, faking politeness. "I'm so sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves! Jackson Overland Frost St. North, at your service. May I introduce my brothers, E. Aster Bunnymund St. North and Sanderson Mansnoozie St. North?"

Then he waited. Apparently, the boy was too shocked at being insulted to reply, so Jack decided to prompt him.

"This is when you tell me your name. Or did you forget it?"

"Malfoy," He said in a strangled voice. "Draco Malfoy."

Then he backed out and left. Bunny high-fived Jack.

"Good one, Frostbite. You sure sent him running!"

"Like a rabbit, in fact," Jack replied.

Bunny opened his mouth to respond, but never got the chance to, as the lights suddenly went out. Jack felt a terrible cold seep through his bones. Then he fell to the floor as he was thrown back in time.

" _It's okay. Just, don't look down. Just look at me."_

 _His sister, wobbling on her skates._

" _Jack, I'm scared!"_

" _I know. I know. But you're going to be alright. You're not going to fall in."_

 _Racking his mind for a way to distract her, to save her._

" _We're going to have a little fun, instead."_

 _Her voice, panicky and scared._

" _No, we're not!"_

" _Would I trick you?"_

" _Yes! You always play tricks!"_

 _Wincing. Too true._

" _Alright. Well, not this time. I promise. You're going to be fine. You have to believe in me."_

 _Telling her to play, pretending to fall, to make her laugh. Back then, he'd been willing die for her, and now he knew he did._

 _Masking the fear, reaching out. Then, cold. Cold and darkness and fear. And death._

Bunny felt a surge of darkness, and turned as his little brother crumpled like a rag doll. He recognized the feeling, and thanked his stars he'd thought to learn the spell to destroy Pitch's most loyal supporters. Lifting Jack in his arms like a child, he ran into the corridor and pointed his wand at the black-robed creatures in the hall.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ "

A silvery swan flew from his wand, to be joined by Sandy's manta ray a moment later. The Dementors turned and glided away, followed by two more from one of the other compartments. A massive dog chased after them, barking, and then turned and trotted back into the room when they left the train. Bunny followed it, since if someone in there could cast a Patronus, there was a good chance there would be someone who could help him with Jack, not to mention that he needed to put the winter spirit down. He wasn't as light as he looked.

Inside, he found a thin, grey man and five scared students. Well, four really. One had passed out on the floor, and two of the others were lifting him onto one of the benches. Bunny laid Jack down on the other, and searched in his pocket for a few Easter eggs. He ate one, and handed more to the other kids in the compartment. Then Bunny bent over Jack.

"Please, Frostbite, come back."

His voice broke. "Don't scare me like this. You can't leave, we all need you. I'm sorry for all the things I said to you, people do believe in you. Jamie believes in you. _I_ believe in you."

When Jack didn't respond, Bunny couldn't suppress a sob. "Please, please come back to me."

Then one ice-blue eye opened and a weak voice said, "Aw, you do care."

Bunny couldn't come up with a reply. He just hugged his little brother tight for a moment, before handing him an Easter egg.

"Eat. It'll help you get over the effects of the Dementors."

Jack took it and popped it into his mouth, saying rather indistinctly, "What were those things?"

"Yes," one of the other kids, a bushy-haired girl, said. "I've never heard of anything like them. What are they?"

The thin grey man sighed. "Dementors. they feed off joy and happiness, sucking it out of creatures around them."

Bunny added to Jack, "That's why you were so badly affected, because the literally sucked out your center. Fortunately we got rid of them quickly, or you wouldn't have woken up."

Jack looked sober. "How do they do that?"

"Do what?" Bunny asked.

"Make me feel like I'm drowning again."

"When you take away joy and fun, you're left with despair. They make you relive your worst memories."

Bunny saw Jack shiver, and hugged him again. "You're okay. We'll talk later, okay, mate?"

Jack nodded, and Sandy came over to join the hug. For a moment, Jack was covered in concerned Guardians, smothering him slightly. When Bunny noticed him tensing, he let go and stepped back.

Turning to the other people in the compartment, he nodded politely. "Aster, and these are my brothers Jack and Sandy. I'm sorry we had to meet under such circumstances."

The man shook hands with him, introducing himself as, "Remus Lupin, new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The students waved. "I'm Hermione Granger," The bushy-haired girl said. "This is Ron, Harry, Ginny and Neville."


	6. Chapter 6 - At Hogwarts

**6**

Luckily, they arrived at the castle soon afterwards. Jack didn't know if Bunny could hold the Dementors off if they came again. Plus, he wanted to talk to Bunny and Sandy without the threat of people walking in at any time.

Unfortunately, their entrance was less majestic and more... damp. It was pouring rain, and they got soaked, despite the covered carriages. In the hall, a tall woman came over and told them to follow her.

Shrugging, the disguised Guardians obeyed.

"Now," she told them, guiding them into a large chamber filled with chattering kids, "You'll wait at the side of the Great Hall until the first years are sorted, and then the Sorting Hat will tell you your house and year."

Sandy nodded.

"Fine with me," Bunny shrugged.

The woman's lips pursed, but she didn't say a thing. Neither did Jack. If he was being totally honest, he wasn't completely recovered from the ordeal with the Dementors.

After the woman left, conversation sprung up.

"...Train."

"Fear..."

"...Dementors!"

Sandy drifted over to join in a discussion about the Defence position, leaving Jack leaning on Bunny's shoulder, uncharacteristically exhausted.

"Hey, ya okay, Frostbite? Ya look rooted."

Jack laughed slightly. "I don't even know what that means."

Sighing, Bunny rephrased, "Are you tired?"

"Oh. Yeah, just a bit shaken, you know, from earlier."

Bunny moved so that Jack was leaning against his chest. It was, admittedly, much more comfortable, if a bit warm. Soon enough, Jack was yawning hugely.

"You need to let go of me, Bun-bun," Jack said reluctantly. "I'll nod off if I get much warmer."

Without waiting for an answer, he gently freed himself from Bunny's arms. Distracted by the conversation going on across the room, Bunny didn't notice, but his arms instinctively tightened around the younger spirit. Jack giggled sleepily.

"You can cuddle me later, you know. Like, when I'm actually allowed to go to sleep."

Bunny promptly let him go, blushing slightly. Apparently, he missed the fur that allowed him to hide his embarrassment.

About then, the woman from before came in.

"First years, follow me. Transfers, you can just step to the side of the hall when we get there, understood?"

"Sure, sheila," Bunny said, his accent unusually strong.

Jack followed him with a respectful, "Yes, ma'am," and Sandy formed a thumbs-up above his head.

The woman's lips pursed again. She turned and led the way down the hall into a massive hall with the most _stunning_ ceiling, resembling a night sky. There were four tables, each lined with students, and a fifth at the head of the hall where the teachers sat. Overall, it was a rather overwhelming sight, even for Jack, who was well accustomed to the splendour of the Tooth Palace.

A commotion at the front of the hall drew his attention. The tall woman was placing an old hat on a stool. She had barely let go of it when a rip in the brim of the hat opened and it began to sing.

" _You all know of the noble four,_

 _Who built this fortress strong._

 _But perhaps you haven't heard that once_

 _They were just students in the throng._

 _Once sly spy and loyal friend,_

 _Once brave wizard and fairest maid,_

 _Once all these great heroes,_

 _Were students bold and unafraid._

 _Great Gryffindor and Hufflepuff;_

 _Ravenclaw of brilliant mind;_

 _Sly and cunning Slytherin;_

 _All close friends, loyal and kind._

 _They met and came together_

 _When darkness was on the rise._

 _They built a home for wizardkind,_

 _A place so safe and free from lies._

 _Now that the Founding Four are gone,_

 _All that is left is an old wise hat._

 _I sort the kids to keep tradition,_

 _And, far as I'm concerned, that is that."_

Everyone clapped when the hat finished its song, chuckling at its ending. Then the woman, now introduced as Professor McGonagall, began calling up first-years.

"Armstrong, Paddy."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Curry, Irene."

"Slytherin!"

"Fuller, Starr."

"Gryffindor!"

And so on. Eventually, with "Westwood, Alyssa," the first-years were all sorted and Professor McGonagall stepped forward again.

"Now, this year we have three students joining us in a later year, as their parents have agreed to teach here this year. They will be sorted as well, but they will also be assigned their year. Bunnymund, Aster."

Bunny grinned shakily at Jack, before stepping up and placing the hat on his head. The hat took its time, until eventually it cried out, "Gryffindor, fourth year!"

Jack smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. Then he was being called up, and there was no more time to think.

As soon as the hat descended on his head, Jack heard a soft voice in his head.

" _Well, well, well. What do we have here? A spirit, if I'm not mistaken."_

" _Please,"_ Jack thought, _"Don't tell anyone."_

" _Why would I? You don't mean any harm, I can tell. But where to put you? You have some of each house in you."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Jack wondered.

" _You're loyal, oh yes, loyal to a fault, but you're sly too. You'll do anything to protect the ones you love, even if it gets you in trouble. You're very, very brave, you stood up to Pitch Black himself, but you don't have that certain... pigheadedness that Gryffindors are known for. You love to read, and you're very creative, but you're not as rule bound as most Ravenclaws. You'd do well in Slytherin, but you don't want that, do you? So, it had better be-_ GRYFFINDOR, THIRD YEAR!"

Jack laughed in relief, relinquishing the hat to McGonagall and going to sit next to Bunny, leaning companionably into his side.

"Mansnoozie, Sanderson."

Sandy came forward to take his place. The hat took less time with him, shouting promptly, "HUFFLEPUFF, SECOND YEAR!"

Sandy waved and signed cheerfully to his brothers as he walked over to sit with the table of amiable-looking teenagers.

"Heart, eye, clock? What?"

"He'll see us later?" Bunny guessed.

Sandy nodded across the hall at them. Then Bunny drew Jack's attention to the head table, where Dumbledore was standing to give a speech.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

A polite smattering of applause rippled through the hall.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid."

This time, the applause was much more enthusiastic. Dumbledore waited a moment for it to die down before speaking again.

"Also, I would like to let you all know that Professor Binns has finally accepted our offer of an exorcism, and as such, I would like you all to give Professor North a warm welcome as History of Magic teacher."

He paused again, and the hall exploded in cheering, though it was unclear whether it was welcoming North or celebrating the fact that this Professor Binns was gone.

"And our last staff change, Professor Tooth will be taking over for Madam Hooch, who is on indefinite leave due to family issues. Finally, on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will play host to the Dementors of Azkaban until such a time as Sirius Black is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light."

He sat down, and everyone clapped wildly.

"Wow," Jack said to Bunny, "I'm surprised he had the breath for that speech."

Bunny rolled his eyes, and Jack subsided, faking hurt. "What, you're not interested in me? I'm shocked."

Sighing, Bunny began serving himself. "Not that I'm not interested in ya, mate, but I'm starving. I had a dingo's breakfast this morning, ya know. I suggest ya bog in, or there won't be anything left for ya."

Bunny had a point, so Jack began serving himself. The dinner really was scrumptious, rivalling a Christmas dinner at North's.

He noticed that some of the kids across from him were the ones they'd met earlier on the train.

"Bloody Dementors," one of the redheads (Jack couldn't tell one from the others) was saying. "Why do they have to come here? Hogwarts is the one place that's supposed to be _safe_."

"What do you mean, safe?" Jack asked curiously. "I heard what happened last year with the Basilisk, and how do you think the ghosts got here? They're tethered to their place of death."

"Well-" the curly haired girl started, then broke off. "You have a point, you know. I'd never really thought about it."

"And if that's true," another kid put in, "How did Nearly Headless Nick die? He said he was executed, but why would someone kill someone at Hogwarts?"

"What about the Bloody Baron? What could have not only covered him in blood but also made him so fierce and private."

Chatter erupted, but Jack was uninterested. He just wanted to finish his dinner.


End file.
